Mail-bag catcher and deliverer.



'PATENTED APR. 21,

J. WOOD. K I A MAIL BAG OATOHER AND DELIVBRER,

3 SHEBTS-SH EBT 1.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31,

- WITNESSES."

A TTORNE Y.

PATENTED APR. 21, 1908.

J. WOOD. MAIL BAG CA'TGHER AND'DBLI VBRERi APPLICATION P ILED OUT. 31, 1907- 3 BHEBTS-SHBBT 2.

Fi g

I N VEN TOR.

Jam wooa.

WITNESSES: 71"4 W ATTORNEY.

PATENTED APR. 21, 1908.

' J. WOOD. MAILBAG GATCHER AND DELIVERER.

APPLIUATIGN FILED QGTV. 31, .1907- 3SHEETSSHEET 3.

' INVENTOR. Jmflzs Woocl -A TTORNEY.

WITNESSES:

NITED STATES Iir i l.ENT .OFFWE.

JAMES WOOD, OFN BLESVILLE; INDIANA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO JOHN OWEN, or

- NOBLESVILLE, INDIA A.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES Wool), of N oblesville, county of Hamilton, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Mail-Bag Catcher and Deliverer; and

I do hereby declare -that the following is a" full, clear, and exact descriptionthereo t, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which lil'e letters refer to-like parts.

The object of this invention isto provide a satisfactory device for the simultaneous receipt and delivery of mail bags and the like.

It is a single device attached to the mail car.

outwardly in position and then the mail clerk can dismiss the matter from his mind and go on to other business in the car and the apparatus will do the rest, that is, it will discharge "the bag which it carried and pick .up a bag;

bag may be removed therefrom when the' clerk deslres to do so. V

this construction the clerk lsnotrequired to and turn itself back into the car so thatthe In other words, with hold the device in position or to give it any attention after he has turned it outward from the car. 7

Another feature of. the invention consists in the peculiar mechanism .lor holding and receiving bags, said mechanism being simultaneously operated by the same means and the release of one bag and the catchingof another is effected by a single means operating simultaneously. And yet said means firmly holds the bag to be delivered until time for (.leliver-y and firmly holds the bag to be receivcd afterit has been caught. so that it cannot csca c. This enables a bag-to be delivered am another one caught by this single device. while the car is going at high speed.

Another feature of the invention consists in combining with said bag delivering and catching device on the car stationary means beside the track for receiving and holding the bags and also for causing the operation of the f or receiving and delivering mail bags.

MAIL-BAG GATCIDER AND DEIIIVERER.

I Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed October 31, 1907 Serial No.

Patented A a-i121, 1908.

device which is on the car, whereby abagis delivered and another caught.

In. the modified form herein shown the'arm.

for delivering and receiving mail bags is arranged to oscillate vertically so it can be used in narrow door ways.

The full nature of the invention will-be understood from the accompanyin drawings and the ilcllowing description an claims:

In the Elr-a'wings Figure 1 is a centralti'ana verse section through a mail car provided with my catching and. delivering device on;

each side of thee car and showing the post be side thecar and the parts in position for the simultaneous discharge and receipt of two mail bags. Fig. 2 is a horizontal'section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing the position of the parts as the bag is to be discharged and another caught. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the upper part of a mail nag post with the arm thrown upward and back away from the train when not in use. Fig 4 is aside elevation of a mail bag and the nngforholding the same. Fig. 5 is a horizo sectionon' the line 5:5 of Fig. .4. Fig. 6 is .anelevation of a portion of the decreasing of'thrnai-lcar and "of my discharging and receiving device mounted thereon and extending outward ready to discharge and receive a bag. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line 77 of Fi 6; showing the parts in altered position whi e holding the bag to be discharged. Fig. 8 is a plan v ew of the discharging and receiving arm in its position after operation and a section of the door casing on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6'. Fig.9 is an elevation of the parts shown in Fig". 6 with thedis'c-harging and receiving arm turned downward to its unoperated p0-. sition,.its inward position being, shown by dotted lines and arts being broken away. Fig. 10 is a verticalsectionon the line 1010 of Fig. 6. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the" 12 is a side elevation of apart of the/mail car showing a modified mounting of the device Fig. 13 is a vertical section on the line 1313' 01' Fig. 12 :with the arm ext-ending outwardly.

Fig. 15 is a section on the line l5---15 of Fig. 13. Fig. 16 is a section 4o wardly from said plate 27.

on the line 16-16 or Fig. 12. Fig. 17 a the.

:wardly as, shownin Fig. 3,.whereby it will be out of-the way ofpassing cars. When it is desired to hang. the mail bag thereon, it is turned ,to the horizontal. position shown in -Fig. 3 and is held in that position bythe 5' slotted bracket 16 secured at the back ol. the

, post near the upper end, said bracket having vertical slots into which the rear ends of the arm 13p'rojeot when said arm is in its horizontal position. Said arm is locked in its 2 horizontal position by. the removable pin 17 that is insertible through the holes 18 and in said braoketunder or through the rearward ends ofthe arm 13. Said stationary mail I r, bag arm 13 is provided with two horizontal g5 and oppositely extending fingers l9 and 26 that are parallel with the railway and the trip finger-21 that extends downwardly when the arm is in its operating position, as shown in Fig. 1, said finger 21 having for its function 30 the tripping of the mechanism carried by the car for discharging and catching mail bags.

On the face of thedoor casing 25 of the car a metal plate 26 is secured. A bracket plate 27 is pivoted upon the plate 26 the tub u- 35 lar bearing 28, which is horizontal so that the plate 27 may be swung in a vertical plane.

seen in Fig. 10, the screw 63 enters said tubular sleeve 28 and clamps the washer 64 against the tubular boss 65 that rojects uplts ower end is curved so as to be convex and midway has the notch 29 to receive the locking bolt 30 .that is mounted so as to be vertically reciprocable through the two bars 31 and 32 se- 45 mated to the plate 26 and is spring-pressed upward by the spring '33. It is pulled down- Wardly by a plying the fingers to the turned lower end 0 said locking bolt 30, as seen in Figjll. The bracket late 27 has two hori- 5ozontal flanges or brac 'ets 35 and 36, one

above the other and parallel. and provided with holes one above the other for the turned end 37 of the bag-discharging and receiving arm 38. The u per one of these brackets 35 55 is in the shape 0' a quadrant and on th: outer side there is a notch 39 in its edge to 'ccive the locking bolt 40 that is recipizscobly mounted in the lugs 41 on the under side of the arm 38 and locks the bag discharging and c0 receiving arm in itsoutward position, as

shown in Fig. 1. Said bolt 40 is springpressed. by the spring 42 into engagement with said notch 39. itsextreme end the finger 45 and heel or pros5 jection-46 at a rightangle with said arm, as

Said arm 38 carries on asses? shown in Fig. 8. Said parts 45 and 4-6 are in A book 50 is pivoted. by the pin 51 to the arm 38 in the slot 47 thereof, as shown in Fig. 7, and has a heel or projmrtirm 532 that corresponds and cooperates with the heel or projection 4s and has a notch 53 in its'outcr surface that registers with the notch 49.

The hook 50 cooperates with the linger 45 to grab and hold the inail bag that is to be received. When released, said hook 50 is thrown into holding position by the s )ring 54 that at one end is secured to the l'ieel or pro jection 52 and at the other end fastened to the eye 55 secured to the arm 38. There is also a bar 56 pivoted by the pin 57 to the hook 5Q on the side of the pivot 51 opposite the attachment of the spring 54. Said bar 56 at itsother end is adjustably COIHAPLttPll with the bolt 40 by said bolt being tlucadcd and extending through a threaded hole in the end of bar 56 and nuts 58 being placed upon said bolt 40.

A trip 60 is pivoted between its ends in the slot in the finger 45 by the pin 61, as seen in Figs. '7 and S. The inner end or" said trip cugages a shoulder 62 on the book 50 near the fulcrum 51 and opposite the connection of the spring 54. A. spring 71 on the turned down end 37 of the arm 38 is secured at its lower end to the plate 36 and at the upper end to said bar 37 in such manner as to throw the arm 38 from tho outward position shown in Fig. 1 around'into the car, as shown at the left hand of Fig. 1 from the outward position shown at the right hand of Fig. l. p

'l. he mail bag is held by the leather 'stri p ill;

that passes through the eye 67 on the square shank GS'secured to a ring 69. The shank in cross section is as shown in Fig. 5 and the ring is large relatively and has a laterally ox.- tcnding late 70 secured to it on its upper side, as s iown iii-Figs. 4 and 5.

The operation of the device will now be explained.

lVhile the arm is extending imvardly the mail clerk secures the bag to be disc-lunged I to one of the rings 69 and places the square shank 63 thereof between the projections ll and 52 in the notches 49 and 53 and draws the hook 50 back to the position shown in. Fig. 7 and moves the trip 60 into locking position, as shown in that figure. 'lhercb the bag will be firmly held so that the ring thereof cannot rotate but will extend transversely of a line through the finger 45. 1hthen swings the arm around from the inward l 0 ii said arm in said upward position until the bag has been discharged. Thepostman at the station where the bag is to be delivered pulls the arm 13 down from its upper posi' tion, shownin F ig. 3, to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 2 and places the bag to be received thereon, that is, on that one of the fingers 19 or 20 that points in the direction in which the train, which is to pick up the bag, will move. At the same time the other one of said two fingers points rearwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, in position. to receive the bag to be discharged; As the train moves by the post 12 the finger 45 on the arm extending from the car travels under the fingers 19 and 20 and penetrates the ring 69 on the other bag carried by the car and rides over the rearwardly extendingfinger 20 in the arm from the post and the tri 60 on the arm carried by the car strikes t e trip 21 on the arm carried by the post, whereby the hook 50 is released and is thrown by the spring 54 very quickly from the position shown in Fig. 7 to that shown in Fig. 8. That sudden movement of thehook 50 causes it to catch the ring 19 of the bag which has been picked up on the finger 45 and causes the projection or heel 52 to release the shank 68 of the ring on the bag that has been received by the finger 19 on the arm of the post. That leaves the discharged bag on the post and the received bag caught by the finger 45 and hook 50. As said movement ofthe hook 5O occurs, the bar 56 withdraws the locking bolt 40, whereupon the arm 38 with the receiving bag is turned horizontally into the car by the spring 71 to the position shown at the left hand of Fig. 1. ,Thereupon, the mail clerk, when he wishes, to do so, removes the mail bag which was received. After having removed the bag he can, if he desires, withdraw the locking bolt 40 downward and thus let the arm '38 swing downwardly beside the door casing, as shown in Fig. 9, and be out of the way until it needs to be-used again.-

The plate 7 O secured to the ring 6 9 transversely thereof is for the purpose of causing the ring to be vertical while it is hanging on one of the fingers 19 or 20 connected with the post and to enable the finger of the catching device on the car to surely enter the ring.

The bag to be taken up by the car must be so placed on one of the fingers 19 or 20 with reation to thetrip 21, as to cause the finger 45 to enter the ring of the mail bag to be received. before the trip 69 engages the trip 2], for it is necessary that the finger 45 enter the ring far enough and before the hook is opera ated to cause said hook to catch said ring on the finger 45 and hold the mail bag;

In the modified form, shown in Figs. 12 to lates vertically instead of horizontally, as in the precedingfigures. This arrangement of the mechanism is preferable when the door of the mail car is narrow, as many of them are too narrow to receive the mail bag on a horizontally oscillatory arm. The variations in the construction to bring about this modified arrangement are very few. In the first place arm 38 is secured to cross rod .80

which extends transversely of the door and is mounted near. theupp'er end thereof in two U-shaped bearings 81, as shown in Fig. 14. One of these bearings points outwardly and the other inwardly and in each bearing the rod is held in place by a removable block 82 locked in place by a bolt 83. In each bracket there is a notch 84 under the cross rod to receive the spring bolt 85 mounted in ears '86 on the under side of the cross rod 80. Y It is actuated by the spring 87 and is released by the bell crank 88 pivoted at 89 and 0 eratedbythe'connecting rod or bar 56. his locking mechanism is the same in general nature as that shown in Fig. 6.

In'this modified form the rod 80 may be taken out and turned around so as to operate and then the spring bolt will engage in the notch on the upper side of the bracket 81 inFig. 17. i What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

' 1. A device for delivering mail bags from cars having means permanently mounted thereon adapted to grigyznd hold the mail bag outwardly from the car, and means beside the'railway for engaging and actuating said gripping and holding means for releasing the mail bag 2. A device for delivering mail. bags from cars having means pernmnently mounted thereon adapted to grip and hold the mail bag outwardly from the ear, means beside the railway for engaging and actuating said gripping and holding means for releasing the mail bag, and means for receiving the said.

mail bag after it has been released.

3. A device for delivering mail bags from cars having means permanently mounted thereon adapted t grip and hold the mail bag outwardly irom the car, and a single means mounted beside the railway for engaging and actuating said device to release the mail bag and tor receiving the bag after it has been reieasc-l. 4. A device for delivering mail bags from cars hm ing m ans adapted to grip and hold the bag outwardly from the car. and an arm mountedbeside the railway and rojecting towards the same with a horizontal finger parallel with the railway for receiving the mail bag, and a downwardly extending trip for releasing the bug holding means from the car.

5. A device for delivering mail bags from 65 17, the arm 38 swings dmrnwardly or esril- 1 cars provided with an arm adaptcdto cm &

tend outwardly from the car with a projection on the outer end extending transversely of said arm, a spring-withdrawn meansadapted to cooperate with said'projection for holding a mail bag to be delivered, a trip for holding said means in its gripping position, and means beside the railway for releasing said trip.

6. A device for delivering mail bags from cars provided. with an arm adapted to extend outwardly from thecar with a projection on the outer end extendingtransversely of said arm, a spring-witlnlrawn member pivoted on said arm and cooperating with said projec tion for holding between them a mail bag, said projecting member having corresponding notches for holding the mail bag, a trip bar pivoted at the outer end of said arm with one end adapted to be moved into locking engagement with. the bag holding member and the other end adapted to project outwardly from the end of said arm, and means beside the track for engaging and releasing said trip bar.

7. A device for delivering mail bags from cars having an arm extending outwardly from the car, a ring connected with the mail bag which is adapted to be received by means mounted beside the railway, an angular shank to said ring, and means on said arm provided with angular notches for grippin said shank and holding said ring vertical an in a plane transversely of the railway.

8. A device on a car for receiving mail .bags having a stationary finger adapted to extend parallel with the railway for receiving the mail bag, a spring-actuated hook that cooperates with said-finger after it has received the mail bag thereon for holding the mail bag, a pivoted trip adapted to hold said hook the railway for engaging and releasing said -tri 2 In a device of the kind, a device adapted to extend from themail car that is horizontally slotted in its outer end, a horizontal finger secured to the outer end of said arm and at a right angle therewith, said linger being slotted, a hook pivoted in the slot of said arm that is adapted to engage with said finger for holding the mail bag after it has been received, aspring that tends to actuate said grip to its ripping position, a trip bar )ivoted in said finger, one end engaging and olding the hook in its inoperative position and the other projecting outward from said finger, and means beside the railway track for en aging and releasing said trip.

10. .n a device of the kind, a device adapted to extend from the mail car that is horizontally slotted in its outer end, a horizontal finger secured to the outer end of said arm and at a ri 1t angle therewith, said finger being slotte l, a hook pivoted in the slot of said arm that is adapted to engage 'with said in its inoperative positlon, and means beside.

finger for holding the mail bag after it has been received, a spring that tends to actuate said grip to its gripping position,'a trip bar pivoted in said. finger, one end engagingand iolding the hook in its inoperative position and the other )rojecting outward from said. finger, means beside the railway track for holding the mail bag in position to be received by said finger, and a tripping means positioned in relation to said bag holding means that is adapted to engage and release the trip on said bag receiving device after the said finger has partially received the bag, whereby said hook will not'be released until the bag is in position to be gripped thereby.

11. A device adapted to extend outwardly from a car to receive mail bags having an arm with a horizontal finger at the outer end thereof at a right angle to said arm, a finger beside the railway track in close proximity to the path of the fin er on said arm, a ring adapted to be secured to the mail bag and hung upon said finger beside the railwa and a concave plate secured to the upper side of said ring and at a right angle therewith that is adapted to rest upon the finger beside the railway, whereby said ring will be maintained vertically and in a plane transversely of the railway, so that the ring will always be in position to be penetrated by the finger carried by the car.

12. A device for receiving bags that is pivotally mounted in connection with the car so as to swing horizontally inwardly and outwardly, a spring tending to draw it inwardly, a catch for looking it in its inward position, and means beside the railway for releasing said catch.

13. The combination with a car of an arm adapted to extend outwardly therefrom having on its outer end a forwardly projecting finger to receive the mail bag and a rearward projection, and single means pivoted in connection with said arm for cooperating with said rearward projection to hold the mail bag 110 and with the forward finger for catching the mail ba 14. T e combination with a car, of an arm adapted to extend outwardly therefrom having on its outer end a forwardly projecting 5 finger to receive the mail bag and a rearward projection, a hook-shaped lever fulcrumed in connection with said arm with one end cooperating with said rearward projection for holding a mail bag and the other end adapt- 120 ed to cooperate with said forwardly projecting finger for catching the mail bag, a trip adapted to be operated by means beside the railway track for holding said hook-shaped lever with its hook in a disengaging position 125 and the rearward portion of said lever in an engaging position, and a spring that actuates said hook when the hook is released.

15. The combination with a mail car, of

i an arm adapted to handle mail bags, a ver 130 tically oscillatory bracket plate secured to the car door in which said arm is mounted,

- and'a sprin bolt for looking said plate so said arm w' be horizontal, whereb when saidplate is released, said arm wil hang? downwardly out of the Way.

mail

thereof, an arm for handling bar so as to osis secured at one end to saic cillate verticallyy'means for locking said arm in its outwardly extending position, and

means forreleasing said lock, whereby the arm will swing downwardly into the car.

17. The eombination with a mail car, of a horizontal oscillatory bar mounted in the door way of the car near the upper end thereof, an arm for handling mail bags that is secured at one end to said bar so as to oscillate yertlcally, means for locking said arm 111 ts outwardly extendmg position, means for releasing said lock, whereby the arm will swing downwardly lnto the car, and means for mounting said vlOSS bar in the door way of the car so that iimay be reversed.

In witness whereof, Ihave hereunto aflixed my signature 1n the presence of tlie'wltnesses herem narmed.

JAivlES WOOD.

Witnesses:

N; ALLnMoNG, OLIVE Bnnnunn. 

